Cooley Law School Stadium
| Lugnuts Stadium | |
 | |
 | |
| Former names | Oldsmobile Park (1996–2010) |
|---|---|
| Location |
505 East Michigan Avenue Lansing, MI 48912 |
| Coordinates | 42°44′5″N 84°32′43″W / 42.73472°N 84.54528°WCoordinates: 42°44′5″N 84°32′43″W / 42.73472°N 84.54528°W |
| Owner | City of Lansing |
| Operator | Lansing Entertainment & Public Facilities Authority (LEPFA) |
| Capacity | 7,527 (+ 6,000 lawn, patio and standing room) |
| Field size |
Left field: 330 feet (100 m) Center field: 378 feet (115 m) Right field: 337 feet (103 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 3, 1995 |
| Opened | April 3, 1996 |
| Construction cost |
$12,800,000 ($19.3 million in 2016 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | HNTB Corporation (Kansas City) |
| Structural engineer | J&S Structural Engineers[2] |
| General contractor | Clark Construction[3] |
| Tenants | |
|
Lansing Lugnuts (MWL) (1996–present) Michigan State Spartans (NCAA) (1996–present) | |
Cooley Law School Stadium (previously known as Oldsmobile Park) is a baseball stadium in Lansing, Michigan, home field of the Lansing Lugnuts minor league baseball team. The Michigan State Spartans college baseball team also plays select home games at Cooley Law School Stadium. The stadium is situated in downtown Lansing in the Stadium District on a relatively narrow strip of land between and below Larch and Cedar streets.
It is primarily used for baseball, though it has also hosted an ice skating rink, an outdoor movie theater, a haunted house, and served as a concert venue for the annual Common Ground Music Festival. Due to the dimensions of the city block in which the stadium was constructed, the right and left field fences 'notch' sharply into distances of 305 feet (93 m) at each foul pole.
History
The stadium replaced a block of storefronts along Michigan Avenue. Originally budgeted $10 million for construction, the construction costs rose slightly to $12.8 million.[4]
Groundbreaking for the stadium took place on April 3, 1995, and it was officially opened exactly one year later on April 3, 1996. Its first game was between the college baseball teams of the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. Two days later, the Lansing Lugnuts had their first game at the venue against the Rockford Cubbies.[5]
On February 22, 2010, Lansing mayor Virgil Bernero announced that the stadium would be renamed Thomas M. Cooley Law School Stadium, a result of the park's new sponsorship agreement.[6] In March 2010, Lansing-based Jackson National Life Insurance Company purchased the rights to name the field "Jackson Field" for 1 year. Thus, the full name of the venue is Jackson Field at Thomas M. Cooley Law School Stadium.[7]
On March 12, 2014, a $22 million renovation proposal for the stadium was announced named The Outfield. It would include $11 million in public bonds for renovation of the actual stadium structure including new turf, and updated locker rooms, concessions and new box seats. $11 million in additional private investments which would include 80 apartments, a year-round bar and grill, and a new scoreboard. The proposal also includes the city negotiating a new contract with the team which is proposed to bring in an additional 25% revenue for the city.[8]
Field dimensions
- Left field: 305 feet (93 m)
- Center field: 412 feet (126 m)
- Right field: 305 feet (93 m)
Gallery
-
Cooley Law School Stadium view from the outfield
References
- ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ "Sports Facility Experience". J&S Structural Engineers. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
- ↑ "Cooley Law School Stadium Information". Minor League Baseball. February 28, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2014.
- ↑ "City of Lansing and Lugnuts Announce Exciting New Developments at Oldsmobile Park". Minor League Baseball. October 14, 2004. Archived from the original on November 3, 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
- ↑ "Cooley Law School Stadium Facts". Cooley Law School Stadium. Retrieved May 27, 2008.
- ↑ Domsic, Melissa (February 22, 2010). "Lugnuts Ballpark Soon Will be Cooley Law School Stadium". Lansing State Journal. Retrieved February 22, 2010.
- ↑ "Jackson National Lands Lugnuts Field Naming Rights". Lansing State Journal. March 22, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
- ↑ Anders, Melissa (12 March 2014). "Living above the outfield: Lansing Lugnuts' stadium renovation plan includes apartments, restaurants". MLive.com. Retrieved 24 March 2014.
